


Elemental

by Vampiric_Charms



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-16
Updated: 2014-10-16
Packaged: 2018-02-21 11:16:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,227
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2466290
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vampiric_Charms/pseuds/Vampiric_Charms
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was during these sparse sparring sessions, surrounded by spectators, that Toph knew, really <i>knew</i>, that she loved it here.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Elemental

**Author's Note:**

> Set a few years after the end of the war. Enjoy!

Their sparring sessions, when they happened few and far between, had begun to draw a crowd. It was as though some kind of silent call would go out until more and more people started showing up, in awe of the spectacle unfolding before them.

Toph couldn’t really care less. She’d done Rumbles; she didn’t particularly mind crowds. They simply meant more to fade out, and she did with that ease, especially since her only target was _moving_. Zuko was the one with the stage fright, far across from her, and that just made her laugh. Which she did, often, usually while pointing at him.

“Wha’s’a matter, Sparky, has your candle gone out or something?” she jeered from across the old Agni Kai arena, though it had not been used for such since the last battle between the new Fire Lord and his sister. Now it was geared to this purpose – sparring, for whoever wanted to. Even if Toph could only tempt him out to fight with her every so often, she did so with relish. He was the only one here who could actually put up any kind of resistance against her.

Her taunt finally, _finally_ , got him to make the first attack.

She stood completely still, focusing only on him and his graceful motions as he slid one foot back, drew an arm over his head in a fast arc, and dropped quickly to the ground to spin the fire from his feet.

Toph laughed, pleased that he was trying this time rather than just appeasing her like during the last session they’d had. That one hadn’t gone well for him. An easy shift of her left foot brought up a circular wall of rock, stopping the flame before it came close. She didn’t pay much attention as the throng of people drew further back, chattering amongst themselves in excitement. Zuko had wanted to go somewhere private. Toph had refused. Funny, how she had so much control over this man who controlled his nation.

Grinning to herself, she drew her fists back and then thrust her hands outward, palms flat. The wall shattered into small pieces, hurtling toward their target.

Zuko dodged, a fan of flame turning into a shield, which he then pushed out into a perfectly formed blast.

And then they were dancing around the arena, him jumping over rocks and avoiding walls or sinking holes, her cackling madly as she sidestepped everything he threw in return, predicting the moves through the earth before they left him.

It was during these sparse sparring sessions, surrounded by spectators, that Toph knew, really _knew_ , that she loved it here. She loved being in the Fire Nation more than she had ever enjoyed living in the Earth Kingdom. Sure, she kind of had a notion about that other times, too, like when no one complained once she “rearranged” her bedroom in the palace, or when she walked around filthy after bending in the gardens and not a single person said anything other than, “Hello, Lady Beifong” and she could _tell_ they didn’t mind. Or that little crowd of kids – she could call them kids now that she’d turned twenty – who had started following her around like a fan group.

But when she was bending in front of these people, really showing her stuff the way she never was allowed to when she’d been living under her parents’ roof except during those Rumbles, and they started calling her name – not “Blind Bandit!”, which she still sometimes went by, for fun – but _“Toph, Toph!”_ , that was when she really felt like she was home.

Okay, yeah, fine, and Sparky was here, too. But whatever, it wasn’t like she was going to say any of this out loud, like, ever. 

Sensing her opening, she swiftly exposed a shallow chasm under Zuko’s right foot. The moment he stumbled and his hand hit the ground, she covered it and his other leg in hard earth, pinning him there and successfully ending the match.

“Ha, I win! Greatest Earthbender in the _world_!” she cried gleefully, the spectators applauding appreciatively. Most of them had never really seen an Earthbender, anyway, so she may as well get it through their heads who she was – the best. She remained where she was standing, leaving Zuko where _he_ was (and growing more agitated by the second), as everyone left, talking about what they had just watched.

Finally, once they were alone, he called out, “Will you let me go now?”

He knew how she enjoyed keeping her victims pinned, and asking while anyone was still around would not go well. This time, though, she released him with a dismissive wave of her hand without an argument. Zuko got to his feet and dusted himself off. She could feel him watching her, and she narrowed her eyebrows in his direction.

“What?” she snapped, stalking toward him.

Her friend just shrugged as she neared, stopping within arm’s reach. He’d stopped fearing her punches a long time ago. “My uncle was right,” he said lightly, stooping over to retrieve something from a wooden chest left by his feet. She was about to ask what it was, but he tossed a warm hand towel in her face before she could.

Toph scowled at him, not really angry as she snatched the towel and threw it back at him. “Right about what, Sparky?”

“Our elements,” he replied vaguely, taking her unused towel to wipe off his face.

“Our elements, _what_?” She smooshed her heel into the ground and a small wave of earth rolled out to unsettle him just enough to make his arms flail out, dropping the towel.

Zuko sighed, picking it up again and dropping it back into the chest before sinking down to sit on the ground, leaning against a pillar. “I dunno, something about how air and water are sister elements, and so are fire and earth. You know, sister elements. They mesh well or…something. Like air and water do.”

“Oh.” Toph fell heavily beside him, thinking about what he’d said. “I guess that makes sense.” But then she grinned mischievously and punched his bicep. He just rocked away from her and back again, far too used to it by now. “I guess it makes sense for how I can _beat you in all our fights_!” 

Zuko chuckled, not responding or pointing out that he won some, too, and Toph rested her shoulder against his companionably this time. It really did make sense, if she truly thought about it. She understood Zuko, and he understood her. Whether that was because they were Toph and Zuko, or an Eathbender and a Firebender, well, that didn’t really matter, did it? They had found one another through the craziness of the war, and she had accepted him despite his mistakes – and really, those were a lot – and now he was letting her stay here in his home as long as she wanted when she didn’t know where else to go. _That_ part, the living here part, would be changing soon, she knew, and it made her too sad to want to dwell on. She stopped.

“So, sister elements, huh? Does this mean I can call you ‘Princess’ in public instead of Sparky, since we’re _sisters_? Oh, oh! How about Fire Lady, like Mai!”

Zuko just got up and walked away.


End file.
